Door-operating device.



' c. s. MAQKEARNIN.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1913. [,1 1 1,801 Patented Sept. 29, 191i 2SHEETSSHBET 1.

WiTNEE'EE: I h lNvENTnfi wwwaa af wdmm [dd/f9; @174 hY HATTEIRNEH G. S.MAQKEARNIN. DOOR OPE-RATINQG DEVICE. APPLICATION FI'LED JAN. 17, 1913.

Patented Sept.29,1914. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Fiqli.

llllli'llll WITNEEIEIEEI CHARLES s. INTAOKEABNIN, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK,h

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, CHARLES S. MAOKEAR- NIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atBuifalo, in the county of Erie'and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to a door operating device which is moreparticularly designed for use on automobiles although the same may alsobe used-elsewhere.

As is well known the opening and closing of the doors of an automobileby the passengers is attended with some difliculty and inconvenience. q

It is the object of this invention to provide simple eflicient andcomparatively inexpensive means whereby various doors of an automobileor the like ard placed under the control of the chaufieur so that theymay be opened and closed by the latter whenever required therebyrelieving the passengers of this worlr and also enabling the chauffeurto control the exit of. the passengers from the automobile so as torevent accidents.

In the accompanying drawings-consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is a topplan view of an automobile provided with my improved a door operatingdevice. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view'of the same.- Fig. 3 isa fragmentary horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken in line33, Fig. 2, and showing those portions of the door operating deviceadjacent to the pivotal connection between one of the doors and a sidewall/of the automobile body. Fig. 4 is a. similar view of the same partsin a different position 1 from that indicated in F ig.'3. Fig. 5 is adetached perspective view of some of the' parts of my improved dooroperating device adjacent to the hinge of the door. Fig. 6 is afragmentary vertical transverse section taken in line 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig.7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, ofthe hand lever and adjacent 'parts of the door operating mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 9 is afragmentary perspective view showing one of the latches or looks wherebythe doors are held in a closed position.

Similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Although my invent on is applicable to automobiles and other vehicleswhich may Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 17,1913. Serial No. 742,541.

bile having a .body which comprises a botcontrolling openings orpassageways in the front and rear seats. In the automobile shown in Fig.l the steering post 8 forming front door 5 is therefore mounted in theor.- dinary way inasmuch as the same is within convenient reach of thechauffeur who can readily manipulate the same for entering or leavingthe auto through the passageway of this door. The left hand front door 6and the left and right hand rear doors.7, 7 being remote from thechauffeursseat are operated by mechanism under the control of thechaufieur for opening and closing these last mentioned doors. The leftfront door and each of the rear doors is preferably pivotally mounted atits rearedge on the adjacent rear edge of the respective door opening orpassagewayof the body by means of a hinge comprising a movable leaf 9secured vertivided with an elbow shaped arm ll) projecting rearwardlytherefrom, a casing or frame having a rear section 11 which is persidewall, and a front section 12 which is detachably connected 'with therear section '11 by means of screws 13, as shown or otherwise, andprovided with a horizontal transverse slot 14 which receives the hingearm 10 of the door, and a vertical pintle 15 which pivotally connectsthe rear end of the hinge arm with the front section of the casingadjacent to the outer side of the same.

for example, comprises a horizontally sliding lockingbolt or catch 16guided in a suitable way on the free front edge portion of the door andadapted to engage with a socket or recess 17 in the adjacent side wall,

,transversely on the door and provided. at

Patented-Sept. 29, 1914;.

tom 1, two longitudinal side walls 2, a front seat 3, a rear seat 4, twofront doors 5, 6

part of the mechanism for controlling the are occupied by passengers.The right hand cally to the rear edge of the door and pro- -The lock ofeach. door 'may be variously constructed, but that shown in thedrawings,

a short horizontal-rock shaft l8 journaled vary widely in constructionthe same is I shown in the drawings applled to an automo- 1' s1de wallsin front of the front seat, and I two rear doors 7, 7 controllingpassageways oropenings in the side walls between themanently secured tothe adjacent part of the connects with the inner end of the locking boltor catch 16, an upright operating arm 20 arranged at the other end ofthe shaft 18,

and a spring 21 whereby the locking bolt is yieldingly held in itsprojected or operative position and in engagement with the socket 17of-the body.

The mechanism whereby the locking bolt ofeach door 6, 7, 7 is retractedpreparatory to swinging the respective door'into its open positioncomprises a horizontal sectional shifting rod, the sections 22, 23 ofwhich are arranged horizontally in line in the normal or closed positionof the door and the front section 22 of which is guided in a horizontallongitudinal way 24 formed on the door adjacent to its hinged edge whilethe rear section. 23 is guided in a way 25 formed on the inner side ofthe casing adjacent to the hinge ofthe respective-door. These twoshifting rod sections are adapted to abutw1thin the joint between thedoor and the adjacent wall of the body during the operationof unlockingthe door, but as the door isswung open the front shifting rod sectionmoves away from the rear shiftin rod section. The movement of the shiting rod sections is transmitted to the locking bolt bymeans of anintermediate rock lever 26 pivoted on the door and having its lower armconnected with the front end of the frontshifting rod section 22 whileits upper arm is connected by means of a link 27 with the operating arm20 on the rock shaft 18 of the rock.

The forward movement of the shifting rod sections for opening thelocking boltis effected by a horizontally swinging lock releasing arm 28which is mounted on the upper end of a shortvvertical rock shaft 29 journaled in bearings on the rear part of the hinge frame. During itsforward movement'this rock arm 28 engages with a. bearing head orenlargement 30 on the rear end of the rear shifting rod section 23 andthereby pushes this section forward together with the front'sectionwhich at this time abuts against the rear section, this movement beingtransmitted by the intermediate mecha- I nism to the locking bolt forretracting the same from'the socket of the body. For purposes which willpresently appear the releasing rock arm 28 upon engaging the head 30 andmoving the same forwardly sufficiently to unlock the door continues tomove in this direction until it clears said head and thereby i permits aspring 31 to return the rear shi ing rod section into its retractedposition and also to ermit the spring 21 to project the locln'ng' oltand move the front shifting rod section into its rearmost position. Thespring 31 surrounds the rear part of the rear rod section and bears atits front end against the guideway .25 and at its rear end against acollar32 on this rod section, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to permit thereleasing rearwardly past the bearing head 30 and into its rearmostposition a supplemental or auxiliary spring 33 is provided which isarranged around the front part of the rear rod section between theguideway 25 and a collar 34: on this rod section. It follows from thisconstruction that when the releasing arm 28 swings rearwardlv andengages with the bearing head the latter together with the rear rodsection are capable of yielding and moving 'rearwardly under the actionof the releasing arm until this arm clears the bearing head after whichthe auxiliary spring 33 again moves the rear rod section forwardly intoits central normal position indicated 1n Fig. 3.

The rocking motion of the shaft 29 is so determined that the first partof itsforward movement operates to unlock the door .by

engagement of the releasing arm with the head while the last part ofthls bearing movementis independent of the door unlocking device andoperates to positively arm to again swing open the door, while thereturn movement of this shaft operates to again positively close thedoor. 1

.The mechanism. whereby the shaft 29 operates to positively open andclose the door is constructed as follows: "35 represents a horizontalshifting link which is arranged lengthwise withintlie casing or frame11, 12 and pivotally connected atits front end elbow of the hinge arm 10while its rear end is provided with a longitudinal slot 37 which ispreferably curved as shown. 38 represents a horizontally movable door100 by means of a vertical pin 36 with the swinging rock arm securedto-the central part of the rock shaft 29 and provided with an uprightpin '39 which engages with the slot 37 at the rear end of the shiftinglink. In the closed position of the door the pin of the door swingin arm38 is arranged at the rear end of the 5 0t 37, as shown in Fig. 3, andthe releasing arm 28 is arranged immediately in rear of the bearinghead, as shown in Fig. 3. During the first part of the forward movementof the rock shaft 29 the releasing arm by engaging with the bearing headoperates to unlock thedoor but the swing arm 38 at this time moves idly'from the rear end to the front end of the slot 37 in the shifting link35. Im-

linkcauses the latter to be pushed forwardly and thereby positively openthe door owmgto the connection of the latter with the s iftmg link. Theposition of the parts duringthe first portion of the opening movement ofthe door is indicated in Fig.

- 4 atwhich time the lock is still inits re- I 'moves idly from thefront end of this slot I tion in amanner common to this type of lock tothe rear end'thereof but during the remaining portion of the backwardmovementof this arm the same exerts a positive pull on this link andcauses the door to be swung inwardly into its closed position.Duringthis return movement of the rock shaft 29 the releasing arm tripspast the bearing head of the read rod section so as to stand in-rear ofthe same in the manner heretofore described preparatory to again openingthe lock during the next forward movement of the operating rockshaft 29.Although the locking bolt under the action of its spring 21 is againprojected while the dooris swung open'this' bolt is retracted during theclosingmovement of the door by engagement of the bevel face 40 on thisbolt with the edge of the door opening and then springs into the lockingrecess 17 the instant the locking bolt is moved into line therewith,thereby holding the door in its closed posior door fastener. 4

. By constructing the casing or frame of the hinge in two sections 11,12 the front one of which'carries the pintle of the door hinge it ispossible to detach the door from the vehicle body. and from theoperatingmechai nism by simply removing the screws 13 which connect theinner and outer sections 11, 12 and removing the pivot pin: 39 whichconnects the hinge arm 10 with the shifting link 35, thereby rendering;it possible to repair the door conveniently in case of injury to thesame.

The mechanism whereby the left and right hand rear doors may becontrolled or operated from the chaufi'eurs seat is preferablyconstructed as follows: 4.1 represents an ul'pright operating .leverwhich projects t rough a longitudinal slot 42 formed 1n the 'bottom ofthe body and which is so mounted at its lower end so that its upper endcan beswung forwardly and backwardly and also laterally. The preferredmeans for thus mounting the operating lever wh ch are shown in thedrawings comprise "a horizontal rock shaft .42 journaled transverselyuna hanger 43 depending fromthe unders1de of the may and a. fork 44arranged at the lower end of the operatin 1 lever so as to straddle therock shaft 42 and connected by a horizontal longitudinal pivot pin 45'with this rock shaft. On opposite sides of the operating lever arearranged two side coupling arms or levers 46 each of which is pivoted atits lower end on the rock shaft 42 while its upper end is provided witha fork-shapedso'cket I 47. which is adapted to be engaged by theoperating lever upon swin ing the samelaterally toward one side of itscentral or ileutral position. Each of the side couplin i levers isoperatively connected with one o the operating rock shafts 29 by meanswhich preferably comprise an upright intermediate shaft 48 journa'led ina vertical bearing 49 on the bottom of the body adjacent to the hinge ofone of the rear doors, an inwardly projecting horizontal rock arm 50secured to the intermediate ro'ck shaft and connected by a longitudinalrod 51 with the respective coupling lever; and an intermediateswivelshaft 52 connected at its upper and lower endsby universal joints 53, 54with the lower end of the respective operating. shaft 29and the upperend of the companion ntermediate shaft 48. Upon swinging the operatinglever 41 laterally in one direction or. the other into engagement withthe socket of one of the coupling levers the operating lever isconnected with this coupling lever. Upon now moving the operating leverforwardly the respective coupling lever is compelled to move with the ocrating lever which move ment is transmitted by the intermediatemechanism just described to the operating shaft 29 so that therespective rear door is first unlocked and thenswung open. Upon movingthe operating lever backwardly together with the coupling lever therespective door is again swung shut and locked in its closed position.It will be noted that by engaging the operating lever 41 with either oneof the coupling levers and operating the same in the manner describedeither of the rear doors of the automobile may be unlocked and swunginto its opened and closed position. v

In order to enable the operating lever to be also utilized for unlockingand opening and closing the left front door means are provided which areconstructed as follows: 55 represents a central or intermediate couplinglever arranged vertically in rear of the operating lever and pivotallymounted at its lower end on the rock shaft 42 while its upper end isprovided with a downwardly projecting hook or shoulder 56. 57 representsan intermediate elbow lever pivoted on the upper side of the carriagebody and having one of its arms connected by a link 57 with theintermediate coupling lever 55 while its other arm is connected by meansof a link 58 with a rock arm 59 on thelower belowthe hook or shoulder 56of the intermediate coupling lever. At its upper end the operating leverhas pivoted thereto an elbow-shaped lever 62 the upper arm of whichforms a handle while its inner or rear arm is connected by means of anupright rod 63 with the front arm of the latch 61. The rod 63 ispreferably arranged within the operating lever which is made hollow forthis purposeand the same is normally held yieldingly in an elevatedpomanner as the rearv doors. Upon releasing sition by means of a spring64 so that the latch .61'is out of engagement from the hook of thecentral coupling lever. .When it is desired to open the left front doorand to close the same the hand lever 62 is pressed in the properdirection while the operating lever is in its central position so thatthe latch 61 engages with the hook 56 of the central coupling leverafter which a forward movement of the operating lever causes the centralcoupling lever to move forwardly and backwardly with the same, wherebythe left front door, through the medium of the intermediate mechanism,is unlocked and opened and closed in substantially the same the grip ofthe hand on the hand lever 62 the spring 64 again disengages the latch61' from the intermediate coupling lever leaving the operating leverfree to be engaged or coupled with whichever coupling'lever cor respondsto the doorto be operated.-

Y It will be noted that by means of this op erating mechanism any one ofthe doors of the automobile ordinarily used by passengerscan beconveniently and promptly ma nipulated by the chauffeur where the latternot only controls the exit'and entrance of the passengers so as to avoidaccidents .but the passengers are also relieved of the annoy ance ofopening and closing the doors themselves:

' 1 claim as my invention: v

1, :1.:;-A*'door operating device comprising a hinge which pivotallyconnects one edge of the door. with its-wall, a locking device adaptedto connect the other edge of the door'with said wall, and means foroperatsaid locking device comprising a see- I tional shifting rod whichis normally arranged in line and adapted vtoabut, and the f I pluralityof coupling levers each of which front section of which is mounted toslide hinge which pivotally the door with its Wall, a locking devicetional shifting ,rod which ranged in line and adapted to abut, and the-front section of which .on the door and is connected with said lockingdevice and the other rear section of which is mounted toslide on saidwall, a

. shaft and on the door and is connected'with said lock-' ing device andthe other rear section of which is mounted to slide on said wall, andmeans for reciprocating said shifting rod comprising a spring device toyieldingly hold said rear its central normal position, arranged on therear end of the rear rod section, ranged on said rock shaft and adaptedto engage with said head during its forward and backward strokes: p

2. A. door operating device comprising a hinge which pivotally connectsone edge of the door with its wall, a locking device adapted to connectthe other edge of the door with said wall, and means for operatwhichoperates rod, section a bearing head a rock shaft, and a shifting armaring said locking device comprising a sectional shifting ranged in linefront section of which is mounted to slide on the door and is connectedwith said locking device and the other rear section of which is mountedto slide on said wall, a

rock shaft, 'a rock arm arranged on said shaft and engaging said rearrod section, :a link connected with said door and provided with a slot,and a rock arm arranged on s a1d shaft and provided with a pin engagingwith said slot. i v

3. A door operating device comprising a connects one edge of adapted toconnect the other edge of the door with said wall, and means foroperating said locking device comprising a secis mounted .to slide rockshaft, a rock arm arranged on said is normally ar-.

rod which is normally arand adapted to abut, and the 35 shaft andengaging said rear .rod section, a i

link connected with said door and rovidd with a slot, and a rock armarrange on said rovided with a pin engaglng' with said s ot, said hingehaving a frame which is mounted on said wall'an'd comprising a fixedrear section upon which said shaft is mounted, and a detachable frontpart which carries the pintle of the hinge.

4:. .A doorfoperating device comprising a plurality of coupling leverseach of which is operatively connected with a door and provided with asocket, and an operating lever arranged between said couplin lever andcapable of engaging the socket 0 either of said coupling levers byswinging theoperating lever laterally and also capable of swingingforwardly and backwardly with I 'oupling levers while in engagement withone or the other.

5-. A door operating device comprising a said coupling levers having alaterally open mg socket and the other with a shoulder or hook, anoperating lever capable of swinging forward and backward with saidcouplinglevers and also laterally ment with said socket, and a latchmounted on the operating lever and adapted to engage said shoulder orhook for coupling the operating lever with said hook coupling lever. v q

6. A door operating; device comprising a central couplinglever providedwith a shouldert or hook, two side cou ling levers arranged on oppositesides 0% the central lef ver and each provided with a fork-shapedsocket, said coupling levers being operatlvely connected into engage--with the doors-to he operated, an operating lever arranged between saidside coupling leversand adjacent to the central coupling lever andcapable of swinging forward and backward with said levers and to becoupled with either of said side coupling levers by swinging laterallyinto engagement with the socket of the respective side coupling ever,and a latch mount-- ed on theoperating lever and adapted to engage theshoulder or hook of the central coupling lver for connecting the latterwith said operating lever;

Witness my hand this 14th day of-January, 1913. v

CHARLES S. MAOKEARNIN.

Witnesses:

Trrao. L. Porr,

E. M. GRAHAM.

